Winner of the Sundance Grand Jury Prize and nominated for Best Picture in this year's Oscars, Winter's Bone, based on the novel by Daniel Woodrell, is about a fearless, unfazed minor, Ree (This year's Oscar-nominated Jennifer Lawrence) on a stubborn and determined search for her missing drug-dealing father in the biting cold of the Ozarks, and through dangerous, violent kin, in order to save her mother and siblings.
The film is not a film to entertain, but it's a sociological perspective of the hard-bitten impoverished folks living a bleak life in the Ozark Mountains. Reminds me of Brillante Mendoza's films that are meant to capture the people and culture.
Watching Winter's Bone feels like reading a novel; it is a bit yawn-inducing especially if you're expecting some action (because basically there is none) and subtitles are needed to help you firmly grasp the story. But just as the impatience and boredom is creeping in, you are held back by moments of suspense and thriller and the sadness of the fight for survival. But what's more noticeable in this film is its authenticity feel; with the help of unknown actors and the archaic shots and music, makes the movie feel real, like you can almost feel the harsh winds in the Ozarks. Feels like reading a book indeed.
3.5 out of 5 stars
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